10 Best Image Changes In WWE History

Wrestling is a business built on characters. It relies upon larger-than-life figures to catch the audience's attention and play out dramatic storylines, and the most immediate way in which these characters are judged is via their appearance.

An eye-catching look can make or break a wrestler's career. Poorly thought out images run the risk of ridicule, while many are unable to catch a break due to uninspiring or generic attire. Conversely, a visual refreshment is sometimes all that is needed to break out of a slump, and to truly make the crowd sit up and pay attention.

From megastars in the mould of Stone Cold Steve Austin, to instantly recognisable midcarders such as Goldust, a rise to prominence and recognition often coincides with a transition to a different look. When timed right, a great appearance can become just as iconic as the wrestler wearing it, leaving an indelible mark upon the history of the business itself.

Who could imagine the 1980s without the yellow-and-red of 'Hulkamania', or the 1990s without the minimalistic style of the nWo? Here are ten of the wisest image changes in WWE history, many of which changed the face of the wrestling world as we know it. Had each of these figures stayed the same throughout their careers, its impossible to predict exactly what the landscape of the company would look like now.

Foley enjoyed many successful image changes throughout his career, but arguably non more raucously received than his 2000 reversion to the Cactus Jack character so successfully portrayed in ECW.

Triple H, his foe at the time, sold the implications of this psychological switch with brilliant terror.